


Shards

by Scarfox15



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-28 01:45:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13893612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scarfox15/pseuds/Scarfox15
Summary: A short AU from a distant planet, similar to Earth.





	Shards

Something about being a Paladin always brought excitement. It brought them to planets of indescribable beauty, unique landscapes, fantastic new species, countless new experiences.

 

This one was similar to Earth, green and blue with flowers of every color littering the valley below. The sky stretched to the horizon, clear blue without a cloud in sight. Keith stood on top a cliffside, Red seated not far behind him, staring off at some unknown thing, a low growling sound coming from low in its throat. Red was upset, it was clear, but so was Keith, as he was standing on the edge of a ditch. A deep and wide ditch, recently gouged out by something big, very big, that then fell off the cliff and crashed into the valley below. 

 

There was no fire, no smoke, no wreckage of any random ship. There were birds perched on top of the Black Lion’s body, deer grazing by its open and dimly lit mouth, the light within flickering. On any other occasion, Keith would have assumed that a deerlike species, even though it was alien, would avoid a dead body. However, seeing as Shiro had gotten shot down over 48 hours ago, the wildlife seems to have gotten used to his body being down there, half crushed beneath his lion.

 

“Red.” Keith spoke up, taking his eyes off of the body surrounded by flower littered grass. Were it not for the blood streaked across the grass and his face, Shiro would just look like he was sleeping. With… a big, black, metal, blanket.

 

The Red Lion stood, lowering its head to Keith and opening its mouth. Keith went inside, his expression stoic, his nerves steeled, though his hands were clenched at his sides as he tried to keep them from shaking.

 

As he seated himself in the pilot’s seat, the screen in front of him flickered to life, and Allura’s face appeared. She looked worried, but as she parted her lips to speak, he interrupted her.

 

“I found Shiro and his lion. They’re untouched. I don’t think anyone knows they’re here, let alone the Galra.” He explained, not meeting her eyes as he steered Red down into the valley. He had to retrieve both of them, after all.

 

“Keith, are you alright?” She asked, more concerned about him right then. She knew Shiro was gone and could do nothing about that. However she could do something about Keith, who was clearly shaken to the point where he seemed to be acting rather… out of character.

 

“I’m going to see if the Black Lion responds to me. That way I can pilot the bigger lion and bring it back, bring Shiro back, and have Red come along too.” He ignored her question as Red touched down close by the crash site. The deer scampered away, though one of them ran straight into the Black Lion’s mouth. Sighing softly, Keith got up, exited his lion, and went in after the deer.

 

The deer snorted, stomped at the floor of the cockpit with it’s hooves as it shook its head, trying to be threatening. Keith raised his hands as he approached it, moving slow as to not startle her. However he accidentally kicked a scrap of metal, causing a loud scrape against the floor that made the deer panic. She thrashed around, kicking the console, then bolted past Keith, shoving him aside.

 

The Black Lion’s console flickered to life, showing an image of Shiro, his face scratched up and blood coming from his lower lip. There was a play button on the bottom corner of the screen, though Keith didn’t notice it at first since the screen was glitchy. The red paladin approached the console, sat down, and pressed play.

 

“Shit- Shit, Keith?! Lance?!” Shiro shielded his head with his arms as some mechanics exploded, showering him with sparks. “Can anyone hear me?! ...Keith?” His eyes locked on the console, but Keith felt like those grey eyes were staring into his own. The back of his eyes began to sting as he realized that Shiro had called for him when he was hit, but the transmission never went through. Keith had no idea that Shiro was shot down until later, when Lance said he was missing. 

 

“I… Okay. Okay.” Another explosion made Shiro flinch, his eyes closing as he tightly gripped at the controls. Shiro was pale, his shoulder shaking. “Come on, we can land this-” His lion shook, and Keith covered his mouth with his hand as the screen flickered. “No, no no no! Come on!”

 

From the window behind Shiro, Keith could see the outside of the Black Lion heating up, catching fire as the planet’s gravity pulled him in. A strange look passed over Shiro’s face, and Shiro once again looked at the console.

 

“Keith… You’ll be the one who looks for me after this-” He swallowed hard after his voice cracked. “I’m sure you’ll find my body, but I want… I want you to remember me for what I was before. Since I can't imagine my body will look great after I’m pulled from the wreckage.” He laughed, though it was bittersweet and interrupted as his breath hitched in his throat. “Oh god, Keith… I’m going to die, aren’t I?” Shiro pushed his hair away from his face, his hand trembling. The Black Lion wasn’t responding to him anymore. Shiro took a few deep breaths, though they shook with his fear. “I never… I never got to tell you that I…” He stared at the screen, his eyes seeming to see straight into Keith’s soul, his lips parted as the words hung on. No words came, but Keith knew what he was going to say. He could see it in the Black Paladin’s eyes. He could hear it in the way Shiro said his name. The way he whispered it now, like nothing else mattered, like Keith was all that there was in the world. Like Keith was his world.

 

Keith felt the tears slide down his cheeks before he knew he was crying.

 

The screen fuzzed over with static, the audio cutting out as glass shattered. Keith let out a shuddered sob as he watched Shiro get assaulted with broken glass, then the recording stopped. The last of the Black Lion’s power brought Keith the message that only he was meant to see, and it left him a mess, curled into himself as he cried and screamed in agony, his heart shattering to pieces like the broken glass around him. He was alone now. Alone in the dark.


End file.
